The Dream of the Prasvapa Weapon

Verse 1 (5.183.1)

ततोऽहं निशि राजेन्द्र प्रणम्य शिरसा तदा । ब्राह्मणानां पितॄणां च देवतानां च सर्वशः ॥

tato'haṃ niśi rājendra praṇamya śirasā tadā | brāhmaṇānāṃ pitṝṇāṃ ca devatānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ

Then at night, O king of kings, I bowed my head to the brahmins, to the ancestors, to all the gods,

Verse 2 (5.183.2)

नक्तंचराणां भूतानां राजन्यानां विशांपते । शयनं प्राप्य रहिते मनसा समचिन्तयम् ॥

naktaṃcarāṇāṃ bhūtānāṃ rājanyānāṃ viśāṃpate | śayanaṃ prāpya rahite manasā samacintayam

to the beings that roam by night and to the kshatriyas, O lord of the people; and, lying on my bed in solitude, I reflected in my mind:

Verse 3 (5.183.3)

जामदग्न्येन मे युद्धमिदं परमदारुणम् । अहानि च बहून्यद्य वर्तते सुमहात्ययम् ॥

jāmadagnyena me yuddhamidaṃ paramadāruṇam | ahāni ca bahūnyadya vartate sumahātyayam

"This exceedingly fierce battle of mine with Jamadagni's son has now gone on for many days, a very great calamity,

Verse 4 (5.183.4)

न च रामं महावीर्यं शक्नोमि रणमूर्धनि । विजेतुं समरे विप्रं जामदग्न्यं महाबलम् ॥

na ca rāmaṃ mahāvīryaṃ śaknomi raṇamūrdhani | vijetuṃ samare vipraṃ jāmadagnyaṃ mahābalam

and I cannot conquer Rama in the forefront of battle — the mighty brahmin, son of Jamadagni, of great strength and valour.

Verse 5 (5.183.5)

यदि शक्यो मया जेतुं जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान् । दैवतानि प्रसन्नानि दर्शयन्तु निशां मम ॥

yadi śakyo mayā jetuṃ jāmadagnyaḥ pratāpavān | daivatāni prasannāni darśayantu niśāṃ mama

If the powerful son of Jamadagni can be conquered by me, let the gods, being gracious, show themselves to me tonight."

Verse 6 (5.183.6)

ततो निशि च राजेन्द्र प्रसुप्तः शरविक्षतः । दक्षिणेनेह पार्श्वेन प्रभातसमये तदा ॥

tato niśi ca rājendra prasuptaḥ śaravikṣataḥ | dakṣiṇeneha pārśvena prabhātasamaye tadā

Then, O king of kings, I slept that night, wounded by arrows, lying on my right side; and at the hour of dawn

Verse 7 (5.183.7)

ततोऽहं विप्रमुख्यैस्तैर्यैरस्मि पतितो रथात् । उत्थापितो धृतश्चैव मा भैरिति च सान्त्वितः ॥

tato'haṃ vipramukhyaistairyairasmi patito rathāt | utthāpito dhṛtaścaiva mā bhairiti ca sāntvitaḥ

the very same eminent brahmins by whom I had been lifted up and held when I fell from the chariot, and comforted with the words "Do not fear" —

Verse 8 (5.183.8)

त एव मां महाराज स्वप्ने दर्शनमेत्य वै । परिवार्याब्रुवन्वाक्यं तन्निबोध कुरूद्वह ॥

ta eva māṃ mahārāja svapne darśanametya vai | parivāryābruvanvākyaṃ tannibodha kurūdvaha

they appeared to me in a dream, O great king, stood around me and spoke. Hear what they said, O best of the Kurus.

Verse 9 (5.183.9)

उत्तिष्ठ मा भैर्गाङ्गेय न भयं तेऽस्ति किंचन । रक्षामहे त्वां कौरव्य स्वशरीरं हि नो भवान् ॥

uttiṣṭha mā bhairgāṅgeya na bhayaṃ te'sti kiṃcana | rakṣāmahe tvāṃ kauravya svaśarīraṃ hi no bhavān

Rise, do not fear, son of Ganga; there is nothing at all for you to fear. We protect you, O Kauravya, for you are our own body.

Note on the text: Speaker: the eight brahmins' words in Bhishma's dream (verses 9–18) have no printed heading in Wikisource; they are given to the brahmins.

Verse 10 (5.183.10)

न त्वां रामो रणे जेता जामदग्न्यः कथंचन । त्वमेव समरे रामं विजेता भरतर्षभ ॥

na tvāṃ rāmo raṇe jetā jāmadagnyaḥ kathaṃcana | tvameva samare rāmaṃ vijetā bharatarṣabha

Rama, son of Jamadagni, will in no way conquer you in battle; it is you, O bull among the Bharatas, who will conquer Rama in battle.

Verse 11 (5.183.11)

इदमस्त्रं सुदयितं प्रत्यभिज्ञास्यते भवान् । विदितं हि तवाप्येतत्पूर्वस्मिन्देहधारणे ॥

idamastraṃ sudayitaṃ pratyabhijñāsyate bhavān | viditaṃ hi tavāpyetatpūrvasmindehadhāraṇe

You will recognise this beloved weapon, for it was known to you in a former life.

Verse 12 (5.183.12)

प्राजापत्यं विश्वकृतं प्रस्वापं नाम भारत । न हीदं वेद रामोऽपि पृथिव्यां वा पुमान्क्वचित् ॥

prājāpatyaṃ viśvakṛtaṃ prasvāpaṃ nāma bhārata | na hīdaṃ veda rāmo'pi pṛthivyāṃ vā pumānkvacit

It is called Prasvapa, O Bharata; it belongs to Prajapati and was made by Vishvakarman. Not even Rama knows it, nor any man anywhere on earth.

Verse 13 (5.183.13)

तत्स्मरस्व महाबाहो भृशं संयोजयस्व च । उपस्थास्यति राजेन्द्र स्वयमेव तवानघ ॥

tatsmarasva mahābāho bhṛśaṃ saṃyojayasva ca | upasthāsyati rājendra svayameva tavānagha

Call it to mind, O mighty-armed one, and bring it into use with all your strength. It will come to you of its own accord, O sinless king of kings,

Note on the text: First line = critical edition 5.184.13ab; second line (उपस्थास्यति राजेन्द्र स्वयमेव तवानघ) is not in the critical edition text but appears in its apparatus as star passage 5.184.11b*0583 line 1.

Verse 14 (5.183.14)

येन सर्वान्महावीर्यान्प्रशासिष्यसि कौरव । न च रामः क्षयं गन्ता तेनास्त्रेण नराधिप ॥

yena sarvānmahāvīryānpraśāsiṣyasi kaurava | na ca rāmaḥ kṣayaṃ gantā tenāstreṇa narādhipa

and with it you will subdue all the mighty, O Kaurava. Yet Rama will not meet his end by that weapon, O lord of men,

Note on the text: First line (येन सर्वान्महावीर्यान्प्रशासिष्यसि कौरव) is not in the critical edition text but appears in its apparatus as star passage 5.184.11b*0583 line 2 (variant शत्रून् for सर्वान्); second line = critical edition 5.184.13cd.

Verse 15 (5.183.15)

एनसा न तु संयोगं प्राप्स्यसे जातु मानद । स्वप्स्यते जामदग्न्योऽसौ त्वद्बाणबलपीडितः ॥

enasā na tu saṃyogaṃ prāpsyase jātu mānada | svapsyate jāmadagnyo'sau tvadbāṇabalapīḍitaḥ

and you will never incur any sin, O giver of honour. Jamadagni's son, overpowered by the force of your arrows, will fall asleep.

Verse 16 (5.183.16)

ततो जित्वा त्वमेवैनं पुनरुत्थापयिष्यसि । अस्त्रेण दयितेनाजौ भीष्म संबोधनेन वै ॥

tato jitvā tvamevainaṃ punarutthāpayiṣyasi | astreṇa dayitenājau bhīṣma saṃbodhanena vai

Then, having conquered him, you yourself will raise him up again on the battlefield with the beloved weapon Sambodhana, Bhishma.

Verse 17 (5.183.17)

एवं कुरुष्व कौरव्य प्रभाते रथमास्थितः । प्रसुप्तं वा मृतं वेति तुल्यं मन्यामहे वयम् ॥

evaṃ kuruṣva kauravya prabhāte rathamāsthitaḥ | prasuptaṃ vā mṛtaṃ veti tulyaṃ manyāmahe vayam

Do this, O Kauravya, standing on your chariot at dawn; for we hold that to be asleep and to be dead are the same.

Verse 18 (5.183.18)

न च रामेण मर्तव्यं कदाचिदपि पार्थिव । ततः समुत्पन्नमिदं प्रस्वापं युज्यतामिति ॥

na ca rāmeṇa martavyaṃ kadācidapi pārthiva | tataḥ samutpannamidaṃ prasvāpaṃ yujyatāmiti

Rama must never die, O king. So let this Prasvapa, which has come to you, be used.

Verse 19 (5.183.19)

इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हिता राजन्सर्व एव द्विजोत्तमाः । अष्टौ सदृशरूपास्ते सर्वे भासुरमूर्तयः ॥

ityuktvāntarhitā rājansarva eva dvijottamāḥ | aṣṭau sadṛśarūpāste sarve bhāsuramūrtayaḥ

Having said this, O king, all those best of brahmins vanished — the eight of them, alike in form, all with shining bodies.